During its 2013 session, the Colorado Legislature passed HB 13-1293, which declared that “climate change presents serious, diverse, and ongoing issues for the state’s people, economy, and environment.” Among other provisions, the bill required a person appointed by the Governor to submit an annual report to a number of committees within the legislature “on climate change issues generally, the current climate action plan...and the specific ways in which climate change affects the state.” Multiple state agencies, including the Colorado Energy Office, the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board are leading efforts to respond to this legislation and to meet the challenges of climate change in the state. To help meet this requirement, the Colorado Energy Office commissioned the University of Colorado Boulder (through the Western Water Assessment) and Colorado State University to complete a study providing an overview of the key vulnerabilities that climate change and climate vulnerability will pose for Colorado's economy and resources.

Final report delivered to CEO in July 2014; officially released in November 2014.